“The Lord Is Nigh”

The first revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants is a warning to the world:

Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh

Doctrine and Covenants 1:12

The immediacy of this warning matches the following words from the prophet Malachi, which the Savior quoted during His postmortal visit to the Americas:

The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.

3 Nephi 24:1, Malachi 3:1

If the Lord was “nigh” in 1831, His return must be even more imminent in 2025. President Russell M. Nelson has recently affirmed, “In a coming day, Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the millennial Messiah.” He testified that Isaiah’s description is accurate: When the Savior comes, “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” There will be no ambiguity about whether that event has occurred.

How are we to prepare? President Nelson gave us the following guidance:

1. “I urge you to devote time each week—for the rest of your life—to increase your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”
2. “I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ.”
3. “I call upon you to help gather scattered Israel and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.”
4. “I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ, and rejoice in Christ!”

(“The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” General Conference, October 2024)

Today, I will prepare for the return of Jesus Christ by learning about His Atonement, sharing what I have learned about Him, and helping others draw closer to Him.